1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to interactive television systems and more particularly to means and methods for using a server to convert user-provided information into a data format which can be used by an interactive television application.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Interactive television systems can be used to provide a variety of services to users. These systems are capable of displaying text and graphic images to facilitate viewer interaction as well as the audio and video streams associated with ordinary television programs. Interactive television systems enable viewer interaction and thereby allow the systems to be used for marketing and educational purposes in addition to extending the entertainment capabilities of an ordinary television. Viewers can order advertised products or services, request information regarding particular programs, or send electronic messages (e-mail).
In a typical interactive television system, a broadcast service provider generates an interactive television signal for transmission to a viewer""s television. The interactive television signal includes an audio-video portion consisting of a television program, as well as an interactive portion consisting of application code or control information. The broadcast service provider combines the audio-video and interactive portions into a single signal for transmission to a receiver connected to the user""s television. The signal is typically compressed prior to transmission and transmitted through broadcast channels such as cable television (CATV) lines or direct satellite transmission systems.
The interactive functionality of the interactive television system is controlled by a set-top box connected to the television. The set-top box receives the signal transmitted by the broadcast service provider, separates the interactive portion from the audio-video portion and decompresses the respective portions of the signal. If the interactive portion of the signal comprises an interactive application, the application may be executed while the audio-video information (the normal television signal) is conveyed to the television. The set-top box may combine the audio-video information with interactive graphics or audio generated by the interactive application prior to conveying the information to the television. The interactive graphics and audio may present additional information to the viewer or may prompt the viewer for input and may be designed to function in response to signals in the broadcast or actions taken by the viewer. An interactive television system may also run applications that present the user only with the audio and graphics relating to the interactive application. In other words, this information may be displayed in place of the normal television signal, rather than adding to the signal.
There are various examples of interactive applications which require viewer input. One example is a televised buying service in which a series of products are displayed via a television program and the viewer utilizes the interactive functions of the television system to purchase the displayed products. The viewer must identify the product he or she wishes to purchase and may also need to provide size, color, and other information descriptive of the product. This information may be provided by selecting the appropriate choice from a menu. The application may, however, also require the user""s name or shipping information which cannot simply be selected from a menu. Another example of an application which requires textual information is a messaging application for which the viewer must provide the message, as well as information identifying the addressee of the message. Some means is therefore necessary to enter this textual information.
One option for entering text would be to use a keyboard. This might not be the best solution, however, because some users may not feel comfortable using a keyboard. One of the attractions of interactive television systems is the ease with which they may be used. Interactive television applications are designed to provide simplified user interfaces and many require no more input than can be provided using a basic remote control. The requirement of entering textual information via a keyboard may make the interactive television system less attractive to users because of the additional hardware which is required for the system, the perceived complexity of the system or the difficulty which may be experienced by some users in typing the necessary information. Further, in some languages (e.g., Chinese,) the complexity of the written language makes text entry via a keyboard difficult even for experienced users.
Other options for providing textual information to an application may involve means for converting non-textual information into a textual form. For example, using voice recognition technology, a user""s voice can be sampled and compared to previously sampled speech patterns to determine the words spoken by the user. The words can then be output by the speech recognition system as text. Handwriting recognition systems could also be used to generate textual information for the application. These systems perform the same process on images of the user""s handwriting (entered via a graphics tablet or similar input device) to determine the text written by the user. While these technologies have evolved to the point that they can reliably generate accurate textual information from the user""s voice or handwriting, they require a great deal of computer resources. The applications may be very large and they need large amounts of processing time to perform the required pattern matching. These technologies therefore cannot be implemented in current set-top boxes, which have very limited storage and processing capacity.
One or more of the problems outlined above may be solved by the various embodiments of the invention. The invention comprises a system and method for enabling a user to provide non-textual information which is converted by the system to a textual form in which it can be used by the interactive application. The non-textual information is entered by the user at the set-top box of a receiving station and this information is transmitted to a server which may be located at a broadcast station. The server converts the information into textual data so that it can be used by the system. In one embodiment, the server transmits the textual data back to the receiving station, where it can be used by an application executing in the set-top box. In other embodiments, the textual data can be used at the server or transmitted to a part of the system other than the set-top box.
One embodiment comprises an interactive television system comprising a broadcast station and a receiving station. The broadcast station transmits an interactive television application to the receiving station, which then executes the application. The application requires textual data from the user. The receiving station includes a set-top box which executes the application and a graphics tablet which is coupled to the set-top box for entering information. The user provides the information by writing on the graphics tablet, which generates an image file. The image file is transmitted from the set-top box to the broadcast station. The broadcast station includes a server which uses handwriting recognition software to convert the image file into character or textual data. The textual data is transmitted back to the application at the set-top box, which uses the data as if it had been typed in directly by the user.
Because the handwriting recognition software resides on the server computer instead of the set-top box, more resources are available for execution of the software. The server typically has more available memory and more processing power than the set-top box and consequently provides much faster recognition of handwriting images. The greater available resources enable the software to provide for recognition of additional, complex languages (e.g., Chinese) and extended character sets (e.g., unicode). Since the recognition software is maintained on the server, the software can be quickly and easily updated with the latest handwriting recognition technology, and it does not have to be distributed to the individual subscribers"" set-top boxes.
In one embodiment, the textual data need not be sent back to the set-top box, but may instead be used at the server or another location remote from the set-top box. For example, a user may place an order for a product by entering oral or handwritten information and the order may be confirmed later by e-mail or other means. In another embodiment, the server could consist of a human operator who receives the audio or image data and manually transcribes it into textual information. The audio or image data may alternately be converted into textual information by automated means operating under human supervision.
In an alternate embodiment, the interactive television system includes a microphone rather than a graphics tablet for entry of information to the system. The microphone is used to provide voice data, which is recorded and transmitted to a server equipped with a voice recognition application. The voice recognition application converts the voice data into textual data, which is then transmitted back to the application executing on the set-top box.